Trichome

In Mandaeism, a ʿniana or eniana (Classical Mandaic: ࡏࡍࡉࡀࡍࡀ; plural form: ʿniania ࡏࡍࡉࡀࡍࡉࡀ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies.[1] There is a total of 26 ʿniana prayers. They form part of the Qulasta.[2]

Etymology

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ʿNiana literally means "response,"[3] since the prayers may have originally been recited in a call and response manner.

Manuscripts and translations

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Jacques de Morgan's manuscript collection included a ʿniania manuscript dating back to 1833.[3]

The prayers have been translated into English by E. S. Drower (1959).[2] They have also been translated into German by Mark Lidzbarski (1920).[4]

A printed, typesetted Mandaic version was published by Mubaraki in 1999.[5][6]

List of eniana prayers

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The ʿniana prayers are numbered from 78103 in both Drower's and Lidzbarski's versions of the Qulasta.

Several of the eniana prayers are duplicated in Book 3 of the Left Ginza (GL 3):[3][7]

Prayer GL chapter
Prayer 92 3.4
Prayer 93 3.10
Prayer 94 3.3
Prayer 96 3.2
Prayer 98 3.7

There are also two eniana poems in Book 15 of the Right Ginza, which are chapters 15 and 16 of Book 15. These two poems contain the refrain "when the chosen/proven pure one went away" (kḏ azil bhira dakia ࡗ ࡀࡆࡉࡋ ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡀ ࡃࡀࡊࡉࡀ).[7] This refrain is also found in prayers 205 and 233–256 of the Qulasta.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
  2. ^ a b c Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
  3. ^ a b c Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
  4. ^ Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.
  5. ^ Al-Mubaraki, Majid Fandi; Mubaraki, Brian, eds. (1999). Qulasta (The Mandaean Liturgical Prayer Book), Book 2: 'Niania (The Responses) & Qabin (Marriage). Sydney.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ Morgenstern, Matthew (ed.). "Qulasta". The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  7. ^ a b Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
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